Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a reduced dead space, and a method of manufacturing provides the same. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a lower substrate comprising a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area; first thin film transistors (TFTs) disposed in the display area of the lower substrate; a first insulating layer that is disposed in the display area and at least a portion of the peripheral area of the lower substrate and that covers the first TFTs; organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) electrically connected to the first TFTs; a sealant disposed such that at least a portion thereof overlaps the first insulating layer; a barrier layer disposed between the first insulating layer and the sealant; and an upper substrate sealed with the lower substrate by the sealant.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2014-0062609, filed on May 23, 2014, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety for all purposes as if fully setforth herein.

BACKGROUND

Field

One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an organiclight-emitting display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same,and more particularly, to an organic light-emitting display apparatusincluding a reduced dead space and a method of manufacturing the same.

Discussion of the Background

Among display apparatuses, organic light-emitting display apparatusesare regarded as the next-generation display apparatuses due to theirexcellent features, such as a wide viewing angle, a high contrast ratio,and a quick response time.

In general, the organic light-emitting display apparatuses aremanufactured by forming organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on a lowersubstrate. An upper substrate and the lower substrate are attached suchthat the OLEDs are located therebetween. The organic light-emittingdisplay apparatuses are used as display units in small devices, such ascellular phones, or in large devices, such as TVs.

In the organic light-emitting display apparatuses, a sealant is used toattach the upper and lower substrates.

However, in the related art, organic light-emitting display apparatusesand methods of manufacturing the same have problems since an areawithout an emission unit, i.e., a dead space, is created in a regionwhere a sealant is provided, and the dead space prevents a displayregion from being expanded toward the edges of the apparatus.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments of the present invention include an organiclight-emitting display apparatus including a reduced dead space, and amethod of manufacturing the same.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the presented embodiments.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, anorganic light-emitting display apparatus includes a lower substrateincluding a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the displayarea; first thin film transistors (TFTs) disposed in the display area ofthe lower substrate; a first insulating layer that is disposed in thedisplay area and at least a portion of the peripheral area of the lowersubstrate and covers the first TFTs; organic light-emitting diodes(OLEDs) electrically connected to the first TFTs; a sealant disposedsuch that at least a portion of the sealant overlaps the firstinsulating layer; a barrier layer provided between the first insulatinglayer and the sealant; and an upper substrate corresponding to the lowersubstrate.

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a methodof manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus includespreparing a lower substrate including a display area and a peripheralarea surrounding the display area; forming first thin film transistors(TFTs) in the display area of the lower substrate; forming a firstinsulating layer that covers the first TFTs, in the display area and atleast a portion of the peripheral area of the lower substrate; formingorganic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to be electrically connected tothe first TFTs; forming a barrier layer on at least a portion of thefirst insulating layer that is formed in an area that corresponds to theperipheral area of the lower substrate; forming a sealant on the barrierlayer such that at least a portion of the sealant overlaps on the firstinsulating layer; and sealing an upper substrate to face the lowersubstrate.

These general and specific embodiments may be implemented by using asystem, a method, a computer program, or a combination of the system,the method, and the computer program.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forenhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept,and, therefore, it may contain information that does constitute priorart.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readilyappreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating amethod of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatusaccording to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the presentembodiments may have different forms and should not be construed asbeing limited to the descriptions set forth herein. Accordingly, theembodiments are merely described below, by referring to the figures, toexplain aspects of the present description. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items. Expressions such as “at least one of,” whenpreceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and donot modify the individual elements of the list.

It will be understood that although the terms “first”, “second”, etc.may be used herein to describe various components, these componentsshould not be limited by these terms. These components are only used todistinguish one component from another. As used herein, the singularforms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms aswell, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or“comprising” used herein specify the presence of stated features orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features or components. It will be understood that when a layer,region, or component is referred to as being “formed on,” another layer,region, or component, it can be directly or indirectly formed on theother layer, region, or component. That is, for example, interveninglayers, regions, or components may be present.

Sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for convenience ofexplanation. In other words, since sizes and thicknesses of componentsin the drawings are arbitrarily illustrated for convenience ofexplanation, the following embodiments are not limited thereto.

In the following examples, the x-axis, the y-axis and the z-axis are notlimited to three axes of a rectangular coordinate system, and may beinterpreted in a broader sense. For example, the x-axis, the y-axis, andthe z-axis may be perpendicular to one another, or may representdifferent directions that are not perpendicular to one another.

When certain embodiments may be implemented differently, a specificprocess order may be performed differently from the described order. Forexample, two consecutively described processes may be performedsubstantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to thedescribed order.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the organic light-emitting display apparatusaccording to exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes alower substrate 100, first thin film transistors (TFTs) TFT1 and secondTFTs TFT2 disposed on the lower substrate 100, a first insulating layer170, a barrier layer 300, a sealant 400, and an upper substrate 500.

The lower substrate 100 includes a display area DA and a peripheral areaPA surrounding the display area DA. Organic light-emitting diodes(OLEDs) 200 are disposed in the display area DA, and a dead space formsa non-display area in the peripheral area PA. A driving unit thatapplies electric signals to the display area DA may be located in theperipheral area PA. The lower substrate 100 may be formed of variousmaterials, e.g., a glass material, a metal material, or a plasticmaterial, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylenenaphthalate (PEN), or polyimide. The upper substrate 500 may be formedof the same or different materials as the lower substrate 100.

The first TFTs TFT1 are disposed in the display area DA of the lowersubstrate 100. The OLEDs 200 are electrically connected to the firstTFTs TFT1 and may be disposed in the display area DA. A plurality ofpixel electrodes 210 may be connected to the plurality of first TFTsTFT1.

The second TFTs TFT2 may be disposed in the peripheral area PA of thelower substrate 100. The second TFTs TFT2 may be, for example, includedin a driving unit for controlling electric signals applied in thedisplay area DA.

Each of the first TFTs TFT1 and the second TFTs TFT2 includes asemiconductor layer 120 that includes amorphous silicon, polycrystallinesilicon, or an organic semiconductor material; a gate electrode 140; asource electrode 162; and a drain electrode 160. A buffer layer 110,formed of silicon oxide or silicon nitride, may be disposed on the lowersubstrate 100, so as to planarize a surface of the lower substrate 100or to prevent impurities from penetrating into the semiconductor layer120. The semiconductor layer 120 may be disposed on the buffer layer110.

The gate electrode 140 is disposed on the semiconductor layer 120, andthe source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 electrically communicatewith one another via a signal applied to the gate electrode 140. Inconsideration of adhesion of gate electrode 140 to an adjacent layer,flatness of a surface on which the gate electrode 140 is to be stacked,and the processability of the gate electrode 140, the gate electrode 140may be formed as a single layer or a multilayer. The gate electrode 140may be formed of at least one of, for example, aluminum (Al), platinum(Pt), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), magnesium (Mg), gold (Au), nickel(Ni), neodymium (Nd), iridium (Ir), chrome (Cr), lithium (Li), calcium(Ca), molybdenum (Mo), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), and copper (Cu). Inorder to insulate the semiconductor layer 120 and the gate electrode 140from each other, a gate insulating layer 130 formed of silicon oxideand/or silicon nitride may be disposed between the semiconductor layer120 and the gate electrode 140.

An interlayer insulating layer 150 may be disposed on the gate electrode140, and may be formed as a single layer or a multilayer formed ofsilicon oxide and/or silicon nitride.

The source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 are disposed on theinterlayer insulating layer 150. The source and drain electrodes 162 and160 are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer 120 viacontact holes formed in the interlayer insulating layer 150 and the gateinsulating layer 130. Regarding the conductivity of the source and drainelectrodes 162 and 160, the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 mayeach be formed as a single layer or a multilayer. Each of the source anddrain electrodes 162 and 160 may be formed of at least one of, forexample, Al, Pt, Pd, Ag, Mg, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Li, Ca, Mo, Ti, W, andCu.

If necessary, on the first TFTs TFT1 and/or the second TFTs TFT2 havingthe above-described structures, a protecting layer (not shown) may bedisposed to cover the first TFTs TFT1 and/or the second TFTs TFT2. Theprotecting layer may be formed of an inorganic material, such as siliconoxide, silicon nitride, or silicon oxynitride.

The first insulating layer 170 may be disposed on the protecting layer.In this case, the first insulating layer 170 may be a planarizing layeror a protecting layer. For example, when the OLEDs 200 are disposed onthe first TFTs TFT1 as shown in FIG. 1, the first insulating layer 170may be a planarizing layer for planarizing an upper surface of the firstTFTs TFT1. The first insulating layer 170 may be formed of, for example,an acryl-based organic material or benzocyclobutene (BCB). Although FIG.1 illustrates that the first insulating layer 170 is a single layer, thefirst insulating layer 170 may be a multilayer or have other variousstructures.

In the display area DA of the lower substrate 100, the OLEDs 200 aredisposed on the first insulating layer 170. The OLEDs 200 include thepixel electrodes 210, an opposite electrode 230 that faces one of thepixel electrodes 210, and an intermediate layer 220 that includes anemission layer and is disposed between the pixel electrodes 210 and theopposite electrode 230.

The first insulating layer 170 includes an opening that exposes at leastone of the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 of the first TFTsTFT1. The pixel electrodes 210, which are electrically connected to thefirst TFTs TFT1 by contacting any one of the source and drain electrodes162 and 160 via the opening, are disposed on the first insulating layer170. The plurality of pixel electrodes 210 may be formed as transparentelectrodes, semi-transparent electrodes, or reflective electrodes. Whenformed as transparent or semi-transparent electrodes, the pixelelectrodes 210 may be formed of, for example, at least one of ITO, IZO,ZnO, In₂O₃, IGO, and AZO. When formed as reflective electrodes, thepixel electrodes 210 may include a reflective layer formed of at leastone of Ag, Mg, Al, Pt, Pd, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, and Cr, and a layer formed ofat least one of ITO, IZO, ZnO, In₂O₃, IGO, and AZO. However, aspects ofthe present invention are not limited thereto, and materials andstructures of the plurality of pixel electrodes 210 may be modified invarious ways.

A second insulating layer 180 may be disposed on the first insulatinglayer 170. The second insulating layer 180 is a pixel defining layerthat defines pixels via openings that correspond to each sub-pixel,i.e., openings that cover edges of each of the pixel electrodes 210 andexpose at least a central portion of the pixel electrodes 210. Also, asillustrated in FIG. 1, the second insulating layer 180 increases adistance between end portions of the pixel electrodes 210 and theopposite electrode 230 disposed on the pixel electrodes 210, so thatarcs are not formed at the end portions of the pixel electrodes 210. Thesecond insulating layer 180 may be formed of an organic material, suchas polyimide.

As described above, the second insulating layer 180, which may be apixel defining layer, may define pixel areas and be disposed in thedisplay area DA of the lower substrate 100. As illustrated in FIG. 1,the second insulating layer 180 may extend to the peripheral area PAsurrounding the display area DA of the lower substrate 100. Details ofthe second insulating layer 180 will be described below.

The intermediate layer 220 of the OLEDs 200 may include a low molecularweight or polymer material. When the intermediate layer 220 includes alow molecular weight material, the intermediate layer 220 may alsoinclude an emission layer (EML), and may further include layers, forexample, a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), anelectron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL).The HIL and HTL may be disposed or stacked on one side of the EML whilethe ETL and the EIL are disposed on the other side of the EML. Also,various materials, such as copper phthalocyanine (CuPc),N,N′-Di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N′-diphenyl-benzidine (NPB), and(tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum) (Alq₃) may be used as an organicmaterial in the OLEDs 200. The above-described layers may be formed byusing various methods, for example, a vacuum deposition method.

When the intermediate layer 220 includes a polymer material, an HIL andan EML may also be included in the intermediate layer 220.Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) may be used for the HIL, and apoly-phenylenevinylene (PPV)-based and polyfluorene-based polymermaterial may be used for the EML. The HIL and the EML may be formed byusing various methods, such as a screen printing method, an inkjetprinting method, or a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) method.However, forming of the intermediate layer 220 is not limited to thesemethods and may be formed in various ways.

The opposite electrode 230 is disposed over an entire upper surface orportions of the entire upper surface of the display area DA and theperipheral area PA. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the opposite electrode 230may be disposed to cover at least a portion of the display area DA andthe peripheral area PA. That is, the opposite electrode 230 may beintegrally formed in the OLEDs 200 to correspond to the plurality ofpixel electrodes 210.

The opposite electrode 230 may be a transparent electrode,semi-transparent electrode, or a reflective electrode. When the oppositeelectrode 230 is a transparent electrode or semi-transparent electrode,the opposite electrode 230 may include a layer formed of a metal havinga low work function, e.g., at least one of Li, Ca, LiF/Ca, LiF/Al, Al,Ag, and Mg, and a transparent or semi-transparent conductive layerformed of at least one of ITO, IZO, ZnO, and In₂O₃. When the oppositeelectrode 230 is a reflective electrode, the opposite electrode 230 mayinclude a layer formed of at least one of Li, Ca, LiF/Ca, LiF/Al, Al,Ag, and Mg. However, a structure and a material of the oppositeelectrode 230 are not limited thereto and may be modified in variousways.

The sealant 400 may be disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100. The upper substrate 500 may be attached to the lowersubstrate 100 by the sealant 400 and may seal the substrate 100. Thesealant 400 may be formed of frit or epoxy, but is not limited thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sealant 400 may be disposed such that atleast a portion thereof overlaps the first insulating layer 170. When atleast a portion of the sealant 400 overlaps the first insulating layer170, the sealant 400 is disposed in a direction (+x direction) that isopposite to a direction (−x direction) of an edge of the lower substrate100, i.e., near the display area DA. In other words, the sealant 400extends in the +x direction toward the display area DA from an edge ofthe first insulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction towardthe peripheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170.When the sealant 400 is disposed near the display area DA, a width ofthe peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 in which the sealant400 is disposed is reduced. Therefore, a dead space in the organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention may be reduced.

In order to form or dispose the sealant 400 near the display area DA,the sealant 400 may be disposed such that the at least a portion of thesealant 400 overlaps an edge portion of the first insulating layer 170.In this case, during a process of attaching the upper and lowersubstrates 500 and 100 with the sealant 400, the first insulating layer170 and the second TFTs TFT2 disposed under the first insulating layer170 in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 may be damagedby heat applied to the sealant 400. In order to decrease the potentialfor damage, the barrier layer 300 may be disposed between the firstinsulating layer 170 and the sealant 400 in the peripheral area PA ofthe lower substrate 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the barrier layer 300 may be disposed on thefirst insulating layer 170 that is covering at least a portion of thesecond TFTs TFT2 in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100.The barrier layer 300 may be disposed in various ways; for example, thebarrier layer 300 may be disposed in the direction (−x direction) of theedge of the lower substrate 100 and extending in the direction (+xdirection) opposite to the direction of the edge of the lower substrate100. In other words, the barrier layer 300 extends in the +x directiontoward the display area DA from an edge of the first insulating layer170 and extends in the −x direction toward the peripheral area PA fromthe edge of the first insulating layer 170. However, even in this case,the barrier layer 300 is disposed between the sealant 400 and a portionof the first insulating layer 170 where the sealant 400 overlaps thefirst insulating layer 170 in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100.

The barrier layer 300 may include an inorganic insulating material. Forexample, the barrier layer 300 may be formed of, but is not limited to,a silicon nitride and/or a silicon oxide.

A wiring 165 may be disposed on the interlayer insulating layer 150. Thewiring 165 may be disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100, and the wiring 165 may be electrically connected to theopposite electrode 230 of the OLEDs 200. Although FIG. 1 illustratesthat the wiring 165 is disposed on the interlayer insulating layer 150,the wiring 165 may be disposed on the same layer as any one ofelectrodes included in the first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. Forexample, the wiring 165 may be disposed on the same layer as the sourceand drain electrodes 162 and 160 among the electrodes included in thefirst and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. In this case, the wiring 165 andthe source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 may be formed of the samematerial.

Since the sealant 400 is disposed near the display area DA, heatgenerated during a process of sealing the upper and lower substrates 500and 100 with the sealant 400 may damage elements disposed in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100. However, the damage maybe prevented or decreased by the barrier layer 300 disposed between thesealant 400 and the first insulating layer 170, and thus, the dead spaceof the organic light-emitting display apparatus may be significantlyreduced by forming or disposing the sealant 400 closer to the displayarea DA.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, an organic light-emitting display apparatusincludes the lower substrate 100, the plurality of first TFTs TFT1 andthe plurality of second TFTs TFT2 disposed on the lower substrate 100, awiring 165′, the first insulating layer 170, the barrier layer 300, thesealant 400, and the upper substrate 500. Elements and features of theorganic light-emitting display apparatus of FIG. 2 that aresubstantially the same as those of the organic light-emitting displayapparatus of FIG. 1 will not be repeatedly described.

The sealant 400 may be disposed in a peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100 of the organic light-emitting display apparatus. The uppersubstrate 500 may be attached to the lower substrate 100 by using thesealant 400, and the sealant 400 may seal the upper substrate 500 andthe lower substrate 100. The sealant 400 may be formed of frit or epoxy,but is not limited thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sealant 400 may be disposed such that atleast a portion thereof overlaps the first insulating layer 170. When atleast a portion of the sealant 400 overlaps the first insulating layer170, the sealant 400 is disposed in the direction (+x direction) that isopposite to the direction (−x direction) of an edge of the lowersubstrate 100, i.e., near a display area DA. In other words, the sealant400 extends in the +x direction toward the display area DA from an edgeof the first insulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction towardthe peripheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170.When the sealant 400 is disposed near the display area DA, a width ofthe peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 in which the sealant400 is disposed may be reduced. Therefore, a dead space in the organiclight-emitting display apparatus may be reduced.

In order to dispose the sealant 400 near the display area DA, thesealant 400 may be disposed such that the at least a portion thereofoverlaps the first insulating layer 170. In this case, during a processof attaching the upper and lower substrates 500 and 100 by using thesealant 400, the first insulating layer 170 and the second TFTs TFT2disposed under the first insulating layer 170 in the peripheral area PAof the lower substrate 100 may be damaged due to heat applied to thesealant 400. In order to decrease the potential for damage, the barrierlayer 300 may be disposed between the first insulating layer 170 and thesealant 400 in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the barrier layer 300 may be disposed on thefirst insulating layer 170 that covers the second TFTs TFT2 in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100. The barrier layer 300 maybe disposed in various ways, for example, may be disposed in thedirection (−x direction) of the edge of the lower substrate 100 andextend in the direction (+x direction) opposite to the direction of theedge of the lower substrate 100. In other words, the barrier layer 300extends in the +x direction toward the display area DA from an edge ofthe first insulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction towardthe peripheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170.However, even in this case, the barrier layer 300 is disposed betweenthe sealant 400 and a portion of the first insulating layer 170 wherethe sealant 400 overlaps the first insulating layer 170 in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100.

The barrier layer 300 may include an inorganic insulating material. Forexample, the barrier layer 300 may be formed of, but is not limited to,a silicon nitride and/or a silicon oxide.

The organic light-emitting display apparatus may include the wiring 165′that extends in a direction of the edge of the lower substrate 100. Thewiring 165′ may be disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100, and the wiring 165′ may be electrically connected to theopposite electrode 230 of the OLEDs 200.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates that the wiring 165′ is disposed on theinterlayer insulating layer 150, the wiring 165′ may be disposed on thesame layer as any one of electrodes included in the first and secondTFTs TFT1 and TFT2. For example, the wiring 165′ may be disposed on thesame layer as the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 among theelectrodes included in the first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. In thiscase, the wiring 165′ and the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160may be formed of the same material. Therefore, the wiring 165′ may be asingle layer or multilayer formed of at least one of, for example, Al,Pt, Pd, Ag, Mg, Au, Ni, Nd, Ir, Cr, Li, Ca, Mo, Ti, W, and Cu.

Since the wiring 165′ extends in the direction of the edge of the lowersubstrate 100, a width W of the wiring 165′ that includes metalincreases. At least a portion of an extending end of the wiring 165′ maynot overlap the sealant 400. For example, the wiring 165′ may bedisposed or formed to have a width in the x direction that extends fromunder the first insulating layer 170 and the sealant 400 to beyond anedge of the sealant 400 closest to an edge of the organic light-emittingdisplay apparatus in the x direction. Accordingly, heat, which istransmitted via the sealant 400 to the first insulating layer 170 or thesecond TFTs TFT2 disposed under the first insulating layer 170 during aprocess of attaching the lower and upper substrates 100 and 500 by usingthe sealant 400, may be easily emitted to the outside via the extendingend of the wiring 165′, e.g., emitted to the outside by the edge of thewiring 165′ that extends beyond the edge of the sealant 400 closest tothe edge of the organic light-emitting display apparatus in the xdirection.

As described above, the barrier layer 300 may be provided between thesealant 400 and the first insulating layer 170. Since the wiring 165′extends in the direction of the edge of the lower substrate 100, thebarrier layer 300 may expose at least a portion of the extending end ofthe wiring 165′. Accordingly, heat, which is transmitted via the sealant400, may be easily emitted to the outside via the extending end of thewiring 165′ that is exposed since the barrier layer 300 is not disposedthereon.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the organic light-emitting display apparatusincludes the lower substrate 100, the plurality of first TFTs TFT1 andthe plurality of second TFTs TFT2 disposed on the lower substrate 100,the first insulating layer 170, a second insulating layer 180′, thebarrier layer 300, a sealant 400′, and the upper substrate 500. Elementsand features of the organic light-emitting display apparatus of FIG. 3that are the same as those of the organic light-emitting displayapparatus of FIG. 1 will not be repeatedly described.

In the organic light-emitting display apparatus, the first TFTs TFT1 maybe disposed in a display area DA of the lower substrate 100, and thesecond TFTs TFT2 may be disposed in a peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100.

The first insulating layer 170 may be disposed to cover the first andsecond TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. In this case, the first insulating layer 170may be a planarizing layer or a protecting layer. The first insulatinglayer 170 may be formed of, for example, an acryl-based organic materialor benzocyclobutene (BCB). Although FIG. 3 illustrates that the firstinsulating layer 170 is a single layer, the first insulating layer 170may be a multilayer or modified in various ways.

The OLEDs 200 are disposed on the first insulating layer 170 in thedisplay area DA of the lower substrate 100. The OLEDs 200 include thepixel electrodes 210, the opposite electrode 230 that faces the pixelelectrodes 210, and the intermediate layer 220 that includes the EML andis disposed between the pixel electrodes 210 and the opposite electrode230.

The first insulating layer 170 includes an opening that exposes at leastone of the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160 of the first TFTsTFT1. The pixel electrodes 210, which are electrically connected to thefirst TFTs TFT1 by contacting one of the source and drain electrodes 162and 160 via the opening, are disposed on the first insulating layer 170.

The second insulating layer 180′ may be disposed on the first insulatinglayer 170. As described above, the second insulating layer 180′ disposedon the first insulating layer 170 in the display area DA of the lowersubstrate 100 may be a pixel defining layer that defines pixels viaopenings that corresponds to each sub-pixel, i.e., openings that coveran edge of each of the pixel electrodes 210 and expose at least acentral portion of the pixel electrodes 210. The second insulating layer180′ may be formed of, but is not limited to, an organic material, suchas polyimide.

The second insulating layer 180′ may extend on the first insulatinglayer 170 in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100. AlthoughFIG. 3 illustrates that the second insulating layer 180′ covers an endof the first insulating layer 170 in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100, the second insulating layer 180′ is not limited thereto.

The sealant 400′ may be disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100. The upper substrate 500 may be attached to the lowersubstrate 100 by using the sealant 400′, and the sealant 400′ may sealthe upper substrate 500 and the lower substrate 100. The sealant 400′may be formed of frit or epoxy, but is not limited thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sealant 400′ may be disposed such that atleast a portion thereof overlaps the first insulating layer 170. When atleast a portion of the sealant 400′ overlaps the first insulating layer170, the sealant 400′ is disposed in a direction (+x direction) that isopposite to a direction (−x direction) of an edge of the lower substrate100, i.e., near the display area DA. In other words, the sealant 400′extends in the +x direction toward the display area DA from an edge ofthe first insulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction towardthe peripheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170.When the sealant 400′ is disposed near the display area DA, a width ofthe peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 in which the sealant400′ is disposed is reduced. Therefore, a dead space in the organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to another embodiment of thepresent invention may be reduced.

In order to dispose the sealant 400 near the display area DA, thesealant 400′ may be disposed such that the at least a portion thereofoverlaps the first insulating layer 170. In this case, during a processof attaching the upper and lower substrates 500 and 100 by using thesealant 400′, the first insulating layer 170 and the second TFTs TFT2disposed under the first insulating layer 170 in the peripheral area PAof the lower substrate 100 may be damaged by heat applied to the sealant400′. In order to decrease the potential for damage, the secondinsulating layer 180′ may extend on the first insulating layer 170disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate 100, and then,the sealant 400′ may be disposed on the second insulating layer 180.

Accordingly, the sealant 400′ may be disposed on a portion of the secondinsulating layer 180′ that is disposed in the peripheral area PA of thelower substrate 100, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Since the sealant 400′ isdisposed on the second insulating layer 180′, a height h1 of the sealant400′ may be reduced. In other words, in the related art, a sealant isdisposed between the lower and upper substrates 100 and 500, and thus,the sealant is disposed such that a height thereof corresponds to theentire distance between the lower and upper substrates 100 and 500.However, in the organic light-emitting display apparatus according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention, since the sealant 400′is disposed on the second insulating layer 180′, which is disposed orformed on the first insulating layer 170, the height h1 of the sealant400′ is reduced by a height h2 of the first and second insulating layers170 and 180′. Therefore, as the height h1 of the sealant 400′ isreduced, an amount of heat that is generated via the sealant 400′ duringa process of attaching the upper and lower substrates 500 and 100 toeach other is also reduced.

Also, the barrier layer 300 may be disposed between the secondinsulating layer 180′ and the sealant 400′ in the peripheral area PA ofthe lower substrate 100. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the barrier layer 300may be disposed on the second insulating layer 180′ placed on the firstinsulating layer 170 that covers the second TFTs TFT2. The barrier layer300 may be disposed in various ways, for example, disposed in thedirection (−x direction) of the edge of the lower substrate 100 andextend in the direction (+x direction) opposite to the direction of theedge of the lower substrate 100. In other words, the barrier layer 300extends in the +x direction toward the display area DA from an edge ofthe first insulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction towardthe peripheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170.The barrier layer 300 may include an inorganic insulating material. Forexample, the barrier layer 300 may be formed of, but is not limited to,a silicon nitride and/or a silicon oxide.

As describe above, the sealant 400′ having a lower height reduces anamount of generated heat, and also, the barrier 300, which is disposedbetween the sealant 400′ and the second insulating layer 180, blocksheat transmitted to elements disposed under the sealant 400′. Further,the wiring 165′, which extends from below the first insulating layer 170to beyond the edge of the sealant 400′ closest to the edge of theorganic light-emitting apparatus, may be included as well to furtherprotect the organic light-emitting apparatus. Thus, not only the deadspace in the organic light-emitting display apparatus may be reduced,but also, elements disposed in the peripheral area PA of the lowersubstrate 100 may be protected from being damaged by heat while sealingthe lower substrate 100 with the upper substrate 500.

Although the organic light-emitting display apparatus has been mainlydescribed, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are notlimited specifically thereto and, for example, the different exemplaryembodiments may be combined.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views schematically illustrating amethod of manufacturing the organic light-emitting display apparatusaccording to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the lower substrate 100 including the display areaDA and the peripheral area PA surrounding the display area DA areprepared, the first TFTs TFT1 are formed in the display area DA, and thesecond TFTs TFT2 are formed in the peripheral area PA.

The first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2 may be formed by forming thebuffer layer 110 on the lower substrate 100, and then patterning thesemiconductor layer 120 on the buffer layer 110. After the semiconductorlayer 120 is patterned, the gate insulating layer 130 is stacked on thesemiconductor layer 120, and the gate electrode 140 is patterned on thegate insulating layer 130. The source and drain electrodes 162 and 160,which are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer 120, may bepatterned on the gate insulating layer 130.

During a process of forming the first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2, thewiring 165 may be formed simultaneously on the same layer as a layer ofany one of the electrodes included in the first and second TFTs TFT1 andTFT2. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the wiring 165 may be simultaneouslyformed on the same layer as the source and drain electrodes 162 and 160of the first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. However, the wiring 165 isnot limited thereto, and forming thereof may be modified in variousways. Further, the wiring 165′ may be formed in a similar manner.

After forming the first and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2, a protectinglayer (not shown) and the first insulating layer 170 are stacked on thefirst and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2. The protecting layer protects thefirst and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2, and the first insulating layer 170may be a protecting layer to protect the first and second TFTs TFT1 andTFT2 or may be a planarizing layer to planarize an upper surface of thefirst and second TFTs TFT1 and TFT2.

A contact hole is formed in the first insulating layer 170 and theinterlayer insulating layer 150, and then, the pixel electrodes 210 areformed to be electrically connected to one of the source and drainelectrodes 162 and 160 of the first TFTs TFT1 via the contact hole. Inthis case, the pixel electrodes 210 may be formed on the first TFTs TFT1in the display area DA.

Referring to FIG. 5, after the pixel electrodes 210 are formed on thefirst insulating layer 170, the second insulating layer 180 may beformed on the pixel electrodes 210. The second insulating layer 180formed on the pixel electrodes 210 may be a pixel defining layer thatdefines a pixel unit. The second insulating layer 180 may be formed tocover edges of the plurality of pixel electrodes 210 such that a centralportion of each of the plurality of pixel electrodes 210 is exposed.Further, the second insulating layer 180′ may be formed in a similarmanner.

After the second insulating layer 180 is formed on the first insulatinglayer 170, the intermediate layer 220 that includes the EML may beformed on the central portion of each of the plurality of pixelelectrodes 210 that are exposed by the second insulating layer 180.Then, the opposite electrode 230 may be formed with respect to theplurality of pixel electrodes 210. For example, the opposite electrode230 may be formed on an entire surface of the second insulating layer180, as illustrated in FIG. 5, or at least on portions of the entiresurface of the second insulating layer 180.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, after the opposite electrode 230 is formed,the barrier layer 300 may be formed on at least a portion of the firstinsulating layer 170 in the peripheral area PA of the lower substrate100. The barrier layer 300 may be formed of an inorganic material, e.g.,a silicon oxide and/or a silicon nitride. The barrier layer 300 maydecrease potential for damage to elements of the organic light-emittingdisplay apparatus by heat that is generated while sealing the lowersubstrate 100 and the upper substrate 500 with the sealant 400 andtransmitted to the second TFTs TFT2 under the first insulating layer170.

Referring to FIG. 6, the sealant 400 may be formed in the peripheralarea PA of the lower substrate 100. The sealant 400 may be formed offrit or epoxy, but is not limited thereto. The sealant 400 may bedirectly formed on the lower substrate 100 such that at least a portionof the sealant 400 overlaps the first insulating layer 170 in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100. The sealant 400 may bedirectly formed on the upper substrate 500 such that the lower substrate100 is attached to the upper substrate 500.

As described above, the sealant 400 may be formed such that the least aportion thereof overlaps the first insulating layer 170. When at least aportion of the sealant 400 overlaps the first insulating layer 170, thesealant 400 is formed in a direction (+x direction) that is opposite toa direction (−x direction) of an edge of the lower substrate 100, i.e.,near the display area DA. In other words, the sealant 400 extends in the+x direction toward the display area DA from an edge of the firstinsulating layer 170 and extends in the −x direction toward theperipheral area PA from the edge of the first insulating layer 170. Whenthe sealant 400 is formed near the display area DA, a width of theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 in which the sealant 400is disposed may be reduced. Therefore, a dead space in the organiclight-emitting display apparatus according to exemplary embodiments ofthe present invention may be reduced. Further, the sealant 400′ may beformed in a similar manner.

After the sealant 400 is formed, the upper substrate 500 may be attachedto seal the lower substrate 100 by using the sealant 400 and seal thelower substrate 100. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a laser Lmay be radiated on the sealant 400 from a direction of the uppersubstrate 500 to attach the upper and lower substrates 500 and 100 toeach other. Elements, such as the first insulating layer 170 and thesecond TFTs TFT2 disposed under the first insulating layer 170 in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100, may be damaged by heatapplied to the sealant 400 while sealing the lower substrate 100 withthe upper substrate 500. In order to decrease potential for damage, asdescribed above, the barrier layer 300 may be disposed between the firstinsulating layer 170 and the sealant 400 such that the barrier layer 300blocks heat from being transmitted to the elements disposed in theperipheral area PA of the lower substrate 100 and thus damaging theseelements.

Also, in order to protect elements, such as the first insulating layer170 and the second TFTs TFT2 from being damaged by heat applied to thesealant 400 while sealing the lower substrate 100 and the uppersubstrate 500, a temperature adjustment apparatus 600 may be used in thevicinity of the lower substrate 100.

The temperature adjustment apparatus 600 may adjust temperature, suchthat a temperature of the lower substrate 100 is lower than atemperature at which the materials and elements disposed on the lowersubstrate 100 are damaged. For example, since a glass transitiontemperature (Tg) of polyimide, which is one of the materials vulnerableto heat damage, is about 400° C., the temperature of the lower substrate100 does not have to be decreased to room temperature, but has to bemaintained at an appropriate level. Therefore, the organiclight-emitting display apparatus may be manufactured under simplemanufacturing conditions and with low costs, and thus, it is possible torealize an organic light-emitting display apparatus including a reduceddead space.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the temperature adjustmentapparatus 600 may be provided under the lower substrate 100, and coldair may be emitted from the temperature adjustment apparatus 600 to thelower substrate 100, so as to prevent a temperature thereof fromincreasing up to a temperature that may damage the lower substrate 100and thin films and elements disposed thereon.

As described above, according to the one or more of the aboveembodiments of the present invention, an organic light-emitting displayapparatus including a reduced dead space and a method of manufacturingthe organic light-emitting display apparatus are provided. However, thescope of the present invention is not limited to the above-describedexemplary embodiments.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described hereinshould be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each exemplaryembodiment should typically be considered as available for other similarfeatures or aspects in other exemplary embodiments.

While one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention havebeen described with reference to the figures, it will be understood bythose of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form anddetails may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An organic light-emitting display apparatuscomprising: a lower substrate comprising a display area and a peripheralarea surrounding the display area; first thin film transistors (TFTs)disposed in the display area of the lower substrate and comprising asemiconductor layer, a gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes;an interlayer insulating layer interposed between the gate electrode andthe source and drain electrodes; a first insulating layer that isdisposed in the display area and at least a portion of the peripheralarea of the lower substrate and that covers the first TFTs, forms aplanarization layer, that does not extend to an edge of the lowersubstrate, and terminates at an outer peripheral edge; organiclight-emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed on the first insulating layer andelectrically connected to the first TFTs; a sealant formed of frit orepoxy and disposed in the peripheral area and not in the display areasuch that a portion of the sealant fully overlaps the outer peripheraledge of the first insulating layer; a barrier layer formed of a siliconnitride and/or a silicon oxide and disposed between the first insulatinglayer and the sealant; and an upper substrate sealed with the lowersubstrate by the sealant, wherein the first insulating layer isinterposed between the interlayer insulating layer and the OLEDs.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising second TFTs disposed in theperipheral area of the lower substrate, wherein the barrier layer isdisposed on a portion of the first insulating layer that is disposed tocover the second TFTs.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrierlayer includes an inorganic insulating material.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein each of the OLEDs comprises: a pixel electrode that isdisposed on the first insulating layer and electrically connected to oneof the first TFTs; an opposite electrode that faces the pixel electrode;and an intermediate layer that comprises an emission layer and isdisposed between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, whereinthe apparatus further comprises a wiring that is disposed in theperipheral area of the lower substrate and electrically connected to theopposite electrodes of the OLEDs.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, whereinthe wiring has a width that extends in a direction from the display areatoward an edge of the lower substrate.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5,wherein the width of the wiring extends beyond an edge of the sealantclosest to the edge of the lower substrate.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6,wherein the barrier layer does not extend to cover an edge of the wiringclosest to the edge of the lower substrate.
 8. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein each of the OLEDs comprises: a pixel electrode that is disposedon the first insulating layer and electrically connected to one of thefirst TFTs; an opposite electrode that faces the pixel electrode; and anintermediate layer that comprises an emission layer and is disposedbetween the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and theapparatus further comprises a second insulating layer that is disposedin the display area and the peripheral area of the lower substrate,exposes a central portion of the pixel electrode, and covers an edge ofthe pixel electrode.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sealant isdisposed on a portion of the second insulating layer that is disposed inthe peripheral area of the lower substrate.
 10. The apparatus of claim9, wherein the barrier layer is disposed between the second insulatinglayer and the sealant.